Sciencemadness Discussion Board

Carbon tetrachloride by electrolysis

Ninja - 30-1-2018 at 03:06

Hi!

I am interested in building an apparatus for the manufacture of chloroform and carbon tetrachloride by electrolysis from
NaCl or KCl, HCl, and Ethanol (to have formiates as a side product).

Besides many different electrodes i want to experiment with Peltier-elements to freeze out products (only very easy with CCl4). But what about working under a slithly increased pressure too?

Electrolytic manufacture of carbon tetrachloride seems to be uncommon at least, since i cannot find anything about it.
CCl4 from CHCl3 seems to be catalyzed by iodine and UV or only iodine.

What else favors these reactions?

Thanks in advance! :)

Sulaiman - 30-1-2018 at 05:52

Quote: Originally posted by Ninja  
Electrolytic manufacture of carbon tetrachloride seems to be uncommon at least, since i cannot find anything about it.
CCl4 from CHCl3 seems to be catalyzed by iodine and UV or only iodine.

What else favors these reactions?


Electrical conductivity AND greater than 11.2 volts :P

[Edited on 30-1-2018 by Sulaiman]

Aqua-regia - 30-1-2018 at 13:44

I think your suggested way is not good for preparative target. Yield is poor and a lot of side reactions coming... Buy a lot of cheap bleach. Haloform is easy peasy

unionised - 30-1-2018 at 14:09

Quote: Originally posted by Ninja  


Electrolytic manufacture of carbon tetrachloride seems to be uncommon at least, since i cannot find anything about it.



Do you have any reason to think it is possible?

Ninja - 30-1-2018 at 14:35

Quote: Originally posted by Sulaiman  
Quote: Originally posted by Ninja  
Electrolytic manufacture of carbon tetrachloride seems to be uncommon at least, since i cannot find anything about it.
CCl4 from CHCl3 seems to be catalyzed by iodine and UV or only iodine.

What else favors these reactions?


Electrical conductivity AND greater than 11.2 volts :P

[Edited on 30-1-2018 by Sulaiman]


Where from do you take this knowledge? Any sources?
A low pH is probably good too, since it favors the formation of nascent chlorine, right?
Quote: Originally posted by unionised  
Quote: Originally posted by Ninja  


Electrolytic manufacture of carbon tetrachloride seems to be uncommon at least, since i cannot find anything about it.



Do you have any reason to think it is possible?


Nascent chlorine or use of chlorine/iodine with UV radiation seem to be able to form CCl4 form chloroform, i think. There is no source for these abilities of nascent chlorine, but it is strong... Should be...

Sulaiman - 30-1-2018 at 17:00

11.2 V is the ionization potential of chloroform https://pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/compound/chloroform#section...

the increased conductivity comment was partly a quip;
the conductivity of chloroform is so low that
if using common electrode topology
I would expect very little current/ionic flow,
hence very little electrolysis can occur.

But I'm guessing :P

unionised - 31-1-2018 at 13:14

Ionisation potentials like that are measured in a vacuum, rather than solution.
Look up the ionisation potential for hydrogen...